She opened her eyes. Despite having slept for only a brief period, she couldn't shake off the drowsiness. She lay still for a few moments, hoping to drift back into slumber, but her efforts were in vain. Once awake, she found it hard to return to the land of dreams.

In the end, Sienna let out a deep sigh of frustration as she opened her eyes. Anise had cast divine magic to stabilize her mind before she had fallen asleep, and Sienna had even resorted to a sleeping spell. But in this place, so close to the gates of hell, such methods seemed futile.

The Castle of the Demon King of Incarceration exuded a palpable aura of Dark Power that surrounded them. Noir Giabella and her army of Night Demons relentlessly attacked the heroes in their dreams, attempting to penetrate their minds. Despite their failed attempts, each attack eroded the divine power and dispersed the magic that protected the heroes and polluted their minds.

Sienna had always believed that wizards had a predisposition towards being sensitive psychopaths, even if others denied it. The recent events had given her a lot to worry about, and the constant stress had taken a toll on her. So it was no surprise that she suffered from insomnia and found it difficult to get a good night's sleep.

“Are you having trouble falling asleep?” asked Vermouth.

“Yeah,” Sienna answered while rubbing her eyes. She turned her head and found Vermouth sitting in front of the bonfire. His golden eyes were calm before the swaying flames, and Sienna waved her fingers while receiving his gaze.

“You should sleep, even if you have to force it,” said Vermouth.

With a Saint and an Archwizard among their ranks, the party didn't urgently require rest. Even if they managed to get only the bare minimum of sleep, they could rely on their reserves of magic and divine power to supplement their energy.

"I'll manage for now. No need to worry," Sienna replied with a grin. Just because they weren't in desperate need of rest didn't mean it was unnecessary. Using magic and divine power to counteract mental and physical fatigue was only a temporary solution. Prolonged sleep deprivation could have long-term consequences, including a reduced life expectancy.

"Are you pushing yourself too hard?" Vermouth asked with a note of concern in his voice. Sienna didn't respond immediately, instead fixing her gaze on Vermouth's face beyond the flickering flames of the bonfire.

The light from the fire illuminated Vermouth's pale skin and gray hair, casting...